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Today at Gen Con, I had the opportunity to discuss Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga with a representative from Sony Online Entertainment. Star Chamber is an online, multiplayer game set in a future universe. It’s played like a board game and collectible card game. Players vie for control of the game universe.

It is free to download and play the game, however, getting additional cards occurs through purchasing them from Sony or receiving them from other players. I’m told there is quite a sense of community among the players and they will often give you cards if you’re a new player who seems to be genuinely interested in continuing with the game.

In Star Chamber, each of the 2-4 players assumes the leadership of a major race in the Republic. Each must balance between the strategy aspects of the “board game” portion of Star Chamber and the surprises that come from the trading card game portion. There are military, cultural, and political aspects to the game. It’s therefore more than just a game of military conquest. Each player plans his or her turn at the same time, so the pace of the game doesn’t tend to drag.

If you prefer solo play, there are over 20 single-player scenarios that tell the story of the Harbinger War. You can also practice in single-player mode, tuning your card decks against the computer before facing other human players.

There are league play events as well as competitive tournaments with prizes.